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Who needs trees?

Since trees are on the endangered species list in the desert , I went out a couple weeks ago to determine how difficult it would be to hang from rocks instead. I learned a few things.

1) I brought 2 25' lengths of 1/8" Amsteel (my 'rock huggers'). I found keeping them in a loop was more helpful in hanging.
2) It's hard to find 2 appropriatly tall rock features that are 15'-30' apart.
3) It's hard to find #2 above with nothing in between them.
4) It's hard to find the combination of #2 & #3 above with something to which Amsteel can be secured.
5) Finally, it's hard to find #2, #3 & #4 above and climb them to secure the 'rock huggers'.

However, I was successful. Below are some pics.

This was my first attempt. Due to the height of the rock on the left, I was probably only a foot off the ground, which was good ... not as far to fall. I hungout for 10-15 min, tossing & turning to make sure it held. It did.

The rocks in this next picture were taller, but due to the sloping nature of the ground underneath, the clearance wasn't much better.

The next site had a tree I could use as one anchor (I know, I know ... ropes & trees are a no-no. It was only 15 minutes of abuse.) This was my favorite hang since it was a pre-established campsite, flat ground underneath and a fire ring nearby.

Through my experimentation, I found that drainage areas offered some of the best prospects. A drainage naturally has a low spot & some have tie-off spots on either side like this spot. (Maybe not a wise choice when rain is in the forecast). ... the picture makes this spot look scarier than it was.

Finally, dry creek beds usually have lots of options. The more obvious ones are the sycamores or cottonwoods .. if you can find a pair with the right spacing. However, there are rocks in abundance and the sandy bottom is a nice cushion for a poor anchor (I know). It might be a little damp if there was water.

I'm a little less reluctant to take my hammock in the Superstition Wilderness now, knowing that I can find treeless spots to hang. It might take an hour of looking though! I found that the rocks are abrasive to the Amsteel. Also I learned NOT to anchor to a loose boulder, no matter how large it is. I brought one down. It crushed the Amsteel ... nearly severing it. I nearly crushed me. But it came rolling down in slow-motion, so I was able to get out of the way.

Great report Hike4wd. I have thought a lot about those sort of things but never taken the time to get out and experiment around. You've given me more motivation. I'm planning to go out on a ~15 mile reconnaissance day hike in the western Supes this weekend to scout out hanging spots. This gives me more perspective on what is possible.

Awesome report. I've always wondered about how easy it might be to come up with a site without trees. Thanks!

What he said! As an ex-desert roamer as well as an above tree line type of guy, I have always been interested in this subject. You are the 1st to report on this in a long time, with more pics from dif sites than anyone I remember.

Have you considered experimenting with some sort of rock climbers protection devices?

Have you considered experimenting with some sort of rock climbers protection devices?

I did initially, but since I have no rock climbing experience, I wouldn't know how secure it would be. The way I did it, I always found a substantial enough rock I could loop the Amsteel around. Since most of the rocks in this area are rough (not smooth), there's plenty of 'grip'.

I did initially, but since I have no rock climbing experience, I wouldn't know how secure it would be. The way I did it, I always found a substantial enough rock I could loop the Amsteel around. Since most of the rocks in this area are rough (not smooth), there's plenty of 'grip'.

What your'e suggesting are basic protection devices like wedges/cams and SLCDs. Honestly, if you rig them correctly you could use them to hang your hammock by,and it would probably be pretty useful. They're used to support climbers when they fall, which is far more force (think 200lb person falling 10 feet, that's quite the force). Some info I pulled from the web.

Monolithic Protection
There are two common types of monolithic protection: tapered wedges and hexes. Both are made specifically for climbing from lightweight aluminum. In use, both are wedged into cracks in the rock so that they are difficult to remove in one direction (usually down) and easy to remove in another (usually up). A tapered wedge, shown above, is a trapezoidal piece of aluminum (one to three centimeters across) attached to a loop of steel cable. A hex is a hexagonal tube of aluminum with a diameter roughly equal to its length, between one and six centimeters. A strong piece of cord is threaded through two pairs of little holes on opposite sides of the hex and tied into a loop. Monolithic protection is inexpensive (a typical piece is under $10), and, when carefully placed, strong (they can support at least 5 kN, about half a ton), but they cannot be used in all situations. For example, they do not work in cracks with nearly parallel sides.

SLCDs
An SLCD A spring-loaded camming device (SLCD) consists of a stem with an axle at one end holding four spiral-shaped spring-loaded cams. When placing an SLCD, the climber pulls a mechanism to retract the cams places it in a crack with the stem pointing down, and relases the mechanism, allowing the cams to spring back against the rock. When the SLCD is pulled downward (say, because of a fall), the spiral-shaped cams are forced harder against the rock, making it more secure. SLCDs are much easier to use than monolithic protection. They can adapt to the rock and hold themselves in place, making them usable in more situations. They have allowed climbers to climb many routes that were too dangerous to climb using other types of protection. The main disadvantage to SLCDs is cost: $50 to $100 each is typical. However, since each SLCD can adapt to a wider range of crack sizes than their monolithic counterparts, so only four or five sizes are needed. SLCDs also have the dangerous ability to ``walk.'' If not under tension, a SLCD can easily move in one direction, usually farther into a crack. This can make it difficult to remove, or more dangerously, move it to where it no longer holds. Monolithic protection usually doesn't do this, since it is usually firmly wedged into the rock.

Keep in mind I'm a software designer, not a physicist. I do hobby climbing in gyms so I'll ask the guys what they think next time I'm at the gym.

Link Cams are heavy, but they have a massive expansion range, and can fit into a large variety of sizes of slots. That means, with a single cam, you've got a large range covered, and can hang off of many different sized slots and pockets.

I would honestly stay away from passive protection unless you happen to notice there are a lot of options for placement in similar sizes. A full set of nuts is going to be kind of a waste for hanging a hammock, since most of them will be in your pack while you hang from one or two pieces.

Link Cams are heavy, but they have a massive expansion range, and can fit into a large variety of sizes of slots. That means, with a single cam, you've got a large range covered, and can hang off of many different sized slots and pockets.

I would honestly stay away from passive protection unless you happen to notice there are a lot of options for placement in similar sizes. A full set of nuts is going to be kind of a waste for hanging a hammock, since most of them will be in your pack while you hang from one or two pieces.